Weekly Ocean News

22-26 October 2018

For Your Information

An international conference on harmful algae is underway -- The 18th International Conference on Harmful Algae (ICHA) is currently being held (21-26 September) in this week (21-26 October) in Nantes France. This conference, which is organized by the International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA), aims to deal with all topics concerning the understanding of the causes, evolution and impacts of harmful micro-algae and cyanobacteria. The theme for this year's conference is "From Ecosystems to Socio-ecosystems." [ICHA 2018] Students and post-doctoral researchers from the U.S. will be attending ICHA 2018 through funding from NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Competitive Research Program. [NOAA NCCOS News]
Biannual OCEANS Conference & Exposition commences -- OCEANS 2018 Conference & Exposition is being held this week (22-25 October 2018) in Charleston, SC. This event, which is co-sponsored by the Marine Technology Society and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, is a bi-annual event for over 2000 global marine technologists, engineers, students, government officials, lawyers, and advocates. The theme of this meeting is "Healthy Oceans, Resilient Coasts, Robust Commerce...Strong Nations." [OCEANS 2018 Conference & Exposition]
NOAA is conducting a Listening Session in conjunction with OCEANS 2018 to receive public input regarding the implementation of the Department of Commerce's 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. Retired Navy Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere will moderate this listening session on Monday afternoon, with the key topic being a discussion of opportunities to improve the efficiency of U.S. ports, reduce the seafood trade deficit, and expand exploration of the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone. [NOAA News]
Marine and tropical weather statements -- This week's Supplemental Information...In Greater Depth provides identifies those National Weather Service Forecast Centers that monitor the weather, prepare weather forecasts, and issue event-specific warnings or advisories for marine and coastal interests. The terminology used to identify the particular warnings, watches and advisories for marine interests and for tropical weather events is also discussed.

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the tropics -- During the last week, tropical cyclone activity was limited to the eastern and western regions of the North Pacific Ocean Basin:

In the eastern North Pacific basin:
- Tropical depression 22-E (TD-22E) was nearly stationary early Monday morning as it strengthened to become a tropical storm offshore of Mexico when maximum sustained surface winds reached an estimated 40 mph. Over the next day, Tropical Storm Tara strengthened as it drifted first toward the west-northwest, then to the northwest and finally toward the north, coming closer to the southwestern coast of Mexico. Torrential rains associated with Tropical Storm Tara spread across southwestern Mexico. On Tuesday afternoon, Tara weakened to a tropical depression as it came within 45 miles of the coast. Tara dissipated Tuesday evening approximately 105 miles to the northwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Additional information and satellite images for Tropical Storm Tara are available on the NASA Hurricane Blog Page.
- Tropical Depression 23E developed approximately 85 miles to the south of Puerto San Jose, Guatemala last Friday morning. Traveling toward the west-northwest, this tropical depression became Tropical Storm Vicente, the 20th named tropical cyclone of 2018 in the eastern Pacific, late Friday afternoon. Vicente traveled toward the west-northwest, to the west and then to the west-southwest on Saturday and Sunday. Some intensification occurred, followed by weakening. As of late Sunday evening, Vicente was a minimal tropical storm as it was heading to the west, approximately 220 miles to the south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico. Forecasts indicate that Vicente should begin a gradual turn toward the northwest by late Monday and then to the north-northwest by Tuesday. Vicente should weaken to a tropical depression by Monday night or early Tuesday, before dissipating near the southwestern coast of Mexico by Wednesday.
- A tropical depression that formed at the start of this past weekend quickly became Tropical Storm Willa on Saturday morning approximately 300 miles to the south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Initially traveling toward the west, Willa began curving toward the northwest on Saturday. During the predawn hours of Sunday, Willa became the twelfth hurricane of 2018 in the eastern Pacific as it was heading toward the northwest well off the coast of Mexico. Rapid intensification continued on Sunday, with Willa becoming a major category 3 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) by midafternoon and then to a category 4 by late afternoon. By Sunday evening, this dangerous category 4 hurricane had maximum sustained surface winds that reached 145 mph as the center of Hurricane Willa was located approximately 210 miles to the south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico. Movement was to the north-northwest. Willa was forecast to curve toward the north and then to the north-northeast, traveling very close to the Islas Marias on Tuesday before making landfall along the southwestern coast of mainland Mexico on Tuesday. Some additional strengthening could occur early Monday before starting a slow weakening beginning Monday night. However, Willa could make landfall along the Mexican coast as a dangerous hurricane.
In western Pacific Basin, Tropical Depression 31W (TD-31W) formed on Sunday (local time) east of the Marianas, or approximately 950 miles to the east-southeast of Guam. At that time TD-31W was traveling toward the west. As of Monday, TD-31W had strengthened to become a Tropical Storm called Yutu, which was located approximately 810 miles to the east-southeast of Guam. Current forecasts indicate that Yutu should intensify into a typhoon as it curves toward the northwest and north, passing to the east of Guam and then continuing toward Iwo To, Japan.

Hurricane Michael stirred up sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico -- A natural-color image generated from data collected by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite nearly ten days ago shows a discoloration of the waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico off the Florida Panhandle by seafloor sediment that was churned up by the hurricane-force winds accompanying the land-falling Hurricane Michael. In addition, river outflow from excessive rainfall and some possible plankton contributed to the discoloration. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Before and after images show destruction and coastal change caused by Hurricane Michael -- NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) collected 9580 aerial damage assessment images covering approximately 4150 square miles in the wake of Hurricane Michael using specialized remote-sensing cameras aboard NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations' King Air aircraft flying at an altitude of approximately 5500 feet. These images, which are included in the NOAA Emergency Response Imagery, were made between 11 and 14 October 2018 in those areas identified by NOAA in coordination with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), along with other state and federal partners. Several "before/after" images can be viewed online via the NGS aerial imagery viewer. [NOAA National Ocean Service News]
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal Change Hazards Storm team has been comparing some of these NOAA aerial images taken after Hurricane Michael's landfall with low-altitude, high angle oblique aerial photos taken in 2017 to document the hurricane's impact on the coast and to fine-tune coastal change forecasting models. [USGS News]
Funding is made for 22 research projects into aquaculture -- NOAA officials recently announced that 22 research grants had been granted for projects around the nation designed to expand sustainable U.S. ocean, coastal and Great Lakes aquaculture. These research grants, which total $11 million, are conducted through the 2018 Sea Grant National Aquaculture Initiative. [NOAA News]
QuikSCAT scatterometer has been turned off -- During the first week of October, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory turned off the SeaWinds scatterometer instrument that flew on the NASA QuikSCAT spacecraft, which was launched in June 1999. The SeaWinds scatterometer measured the speed and direction of the winds over the global ocean surface for the first decade, when the spinning antenna to stop rotating, reducing its observing swath. However, with a narrower swath that was being observed, the instrument was used to calibrate newer spaceborne scatterometers for another nine years. The shutdown of the SeaWinds scatterometer was in accordance with the decommissioning plan for the satellite. [NOAA NCEI News]
Coastal opportunities for people with disabilities are expanded nationally -- In observance of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, NOAA and its partners are breaking down barriers to coastal access using the theme "Empowering All." Two NOAA programs are involved in this effort--the National Coastal Zone Management Program and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. [NOAA National Ocean Service]
An All-Hazards Monitor-- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA's National Weather Service, FAA and FEMA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAA/NWS Daily Briefing]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com]

Concept of the Week: Loss of Louisiana's Coast

According to the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force, Louisiana has been losing its coastal wetlands (bayous, marshes, and swamps) to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico at an alarming rate of about 65 to 100 square km (25 to 38 square mi) per year for the past several decades. This loss adversely affects fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and makes the coastal zone more vulnerable to storm surges such as that produced by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Since the early 1930s, the state's coastal wetlands have shrunk by an area equivalent to the state of Delaware. According to USGS estimates, an additional 1800 square km (700 square mi) could be lost by mid-century. The price tag for reversing this trend, restoring some marshes, and protecting the remaining 15,000 square km (5800 square mi) of wetlands could top $14 billion and take decades to complete. Many people argue that the value of Louisiana's coastal wetlands is well worth the expense.

As much as 75% of the fish and other marine life in the northern Gulf of Mexico depend on Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The wetlands are a nursery for commercially important catches of shrimp, crawfish, blue crab, and oysters. It is a food source for larger fish including yellow fin tuna, red snapper, and swordfish. In 2003, about three-quarters of the nation's fish and shellfish catch by weight came from Louisiana's waters. In addition, the wetlands are a stopover for millions of birds migrating between North and Central/South America. Furthermore, wetlands and associated barrier islands protect the ports, buildings, and other coastal zone structures from storm surges. Wetlands are particularly important in buffering the levees surrounding New Orleans, much of which is below sea level.

Many factors contribute to the loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands. Thousands of kilometers of pipelines transporting oil and natural gas through the marshes plus the extensive network of navigation channels allow saltwater to intrude the wetlands. Increased salinity of the originally fresh or brackish waters kill wetland grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation that anchor soil in place. The canals also allow tidal currents to flow farther inland, accelerating erosion of wetland soils. The most important factor, however, is the consequence of flood control structures (levees) constructed along the banks of the Mississippi River. Levees constrict the flow of the river so that waters and suspended sediment discharge rapidly into the Gulf. Deprived of a continuous input of sediments and vegetation-supporting nutrients, existing sediments compact, wetlands subside and Gulf waters invade the wetlands. With the anticipated continued rise in sea level due to global climate change (discussed in Chapter 12 of your textbook), erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetland may accelerate in the future.

Plans to reverse the loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands (the Coast 2005 plan and the Louisiana Coastal Area plan) seek to restore the structure and function of coastal wetlands. One proposal is to breach some levees along the lower Mississippi. This partial diversion of the Mississippi would increase the supply of sediments to the wetlands. Closing or installing locks on some navigation canals would reduce saltwater intrusion. In addition, dredged sediment would be used to re-build wetlands and restore barrier islands.

Historical Events:

22 October 1988...A "nor'easter" swept across the coast of New England. Winds gusted to 75 mph, and large waves and high tides caused extensive shoreline flooding. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
22 October 2005...Isla Mujeres, Mexico set the Northern Hemisphere's and Western Hemisphere's 24-hour rainfall record with 64.33 inches thanks to Hurricane Wilma. (National Weather Service files)
23 October 1761...A violent hurricane struck New England, causing tremendous damage in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. (National Weather Service files)
23-24 October 1918...The Canadian steamship Princess Sophia carrying miners from the Yukon and Alaska became stranded on Vanderbilt Reef along coastal British Columbia. A strong northerly gale hampered rescue attempts, and the next day, the ship sank with the loss of the 268 passengers and 75 crewmen onboard. (The Weather Doctor)
24 October 1878: The Gale of 1878 was an intense Category 2 hurricane that was active between the 18th and 25th of October. It caused extensive damage from Cuba to New England, as was believed to be the strongest storm to hit the Washington - Baltimore region since hurricane records began in 1851. (National Weather Service records)
25 October 1859...The Royal Charter Storm, named after the loss of the fully rigged ship Royal Charter off the coast of Anglesey, England, drowned about 500 people, along with the loss of gold bullion. The ship was one of over 200 vessels wrecked between 21 October and 2 November, with the loss of around 800 lives. This tragedy led to the introduction of gale warnings in England beginning in June 1860. (The Weather Doctor)
25 October 1921...A hurricane made landfall at Tarpon Springs, FL, as a Category 3 (after weakening from a Category 4), causing several million dollars in damage. (National Weather Service records)
25 October 1941...South Greenland Patrol expanded to include three cutters of the Northeast Greenland Patrol and form the Greenland Patrol. (USCG Historian's Office)
25-26 October 1980...The combination of unusually high tides and southeasterly winds gusting to 75 mph generated waves with heights to 25 ft, resulting in serious flooding, beach erosion and sea wall damage along the Maine coast. Wind damage was considerable and as many as 100,000 homes were without power for up to 40 hrs. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
26 October 1865...A hurricane sank the steamship USS Mobile in 1700 feet of water off the Georgia coast. The wreck, laden with 20,000 gold coins, was found in 2003. (National Weather Service records)
26 October 1998...Hurricane Mitch, the second deadliest hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, reached Category 5 strength on this day. (National Weather Service records)
27 October 1728...Captain James Cook, the famed British naval officer who was one of the first of the scientific navigators, was born on this date. Captain Cook surveyed the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland before making three expeditions into the Pacific Ocean where he became the first Englishman to explore previously uncharted locations. On his various voyages, he conducted astronomical observations and his ship's botanist studied the flora and fauna that were collected. (Today in Science History)
27 October 1922...Navy Day was established by the Navy League of the United States and recognized by President Warren Harding. The day was suggested to recognize the birthdate of former President Theodore Roosevelt who had been an Assistant Secretary of the Navy and supported a strong Navy as well as the idea of Navy Day. The date was the anniversary of a 1775 report issued by a special committee of the Continental Congress favoring the purchase of merchant ships as the foundation of an American Navy. The date was last officially observed in 1949. (US Dept. of Defense)
28 October 1492...The famous Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, landed on Cuba. (Wikipedia)
28 October 1991...Typhoon Thelma devastated the Philippines. Reports indicated that 6000 people died by catastrophic events related to the storm including dam failure, landslides, and extensive flash flooding. The greatest number of casualties occurred on Leyte Island where an 8-ft storm surge struck Ormoc, accounting for over 3000 fatalities. (The Weather Doctor)